A new app forecasts the weather at your dog's paws

A new weather service called Pawcast is forecasting temperature at the height of a dog's head and paws, delivering readings that people standing five feet up never feel. The app launched from Weather.pet, built by entrepreneur Clay Bartlett and a team of veterinarians, nurses, and dog trainers. From late September through October, it sent 28,000 alerts to more than 2,000 pet owners across all 50 states and DC. The idea started with a thermometer. "This past weekend I stood outside a pet conference in Fort Worth, pointing an infrared thermometer at the asphalt. It read 131\u00b0F. The air was 98\u00b0F," Bartlett wrote. That 33-degree gap can burn paws over a short walk. His team took thousands of surface readings across the country to build a model they call Dog Feel\u00b0, which factors in a dog's breed, coat, age, and weight. Most veterinary guidance, Bartlett said, still leans on a grid from 1998. The asphalt, it turns out, has been lying to us.